


Idle Meeting

by sinspiration



Series: Herald, Play On [2]
Category: Mad Max Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen or Pre-Slash, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-06-12
Packaged: 2018-04-04 01:25:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4121223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinspiration/pseuds/sinspiration
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He turned another corner, smelling the dust of disuse in this little area of the Citadel and paused, frowning. He could hear something a bit further down, hitched breathing, coming from one mouth. He quirked his lips. So someone was having a little self-pump huh? Well, sucked for them; this was where he was going, too bad if they didn't want company.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Idle Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> No excuses, all the regrets.

Doof liked walking around at night. He could tell it was night because the air changed, getting cooler, heavier. The Citadel was less busy then. Oh, it was always buzzing somewhere, people working late, or early, or round-the-clock doing whatever it was they did to keep the place going, but there was less of them at night, and usually they were sequestered away in some nook or cranny. He didn't bother them, they didn't bother him. Easy. 

So when he was thinking something up and getting antsy sitting in once place, he went out for a stroll. Wherever his feet took him, clicking his tongue to get around and navigate the dips and turns and rocky overhangs. It was peaceful like, getting into a rhythm to move, tuning up the rest of him.

He turned another corner, smelling the dust of disuse in this little area of the Citadel and paused, frowning. He could hear something a bit further down, hitched breathing, coming from one mouth. He quirked his lips. So someone was having a little self-pump huh? Well, sucked for them; this was where he was going, too bad if they didn't want company. He kept walking.

The sounds turned into a sharp inhale when he got a little farther in, and there was the weird sound of hands slapping on the ground.

"Herald!" and then a pause, followed by, "I-I'm makin' the sign of the V8, Herald!"

"That's nice, pup," Doof said, before clicking to examine the figure. Low down, but long arms extended up, so on his knees, maybe? Not the best position for what he was probably doing but sure, Doof wasn't gonna judge. The voice wasn't child-young, but it didn't sound near the end of half-life either.

"Not a pup, Herald," the voice said, still breathless. Awe, that was it. "I'm a black thumb, me. Full-on War Boy! I'm a Driver," he added, sounding real proud. Probably was puffing out his chest.

"Not bad," Doof said. "Driver, huh? Y'heard me play?"

"Yeah," the voice breathed. "Haven't been in battle with you yet, Herald, but one day."

Doof snorted and moved to sit. He'd planned on a walk alone, but this was entertaining enough for now. And even though he'd been interrupted mid-pump, this Boy sure seemed eager to talk to him. Most of them stuck with quiet awe, or didn't want to approach and accidentally piss Doof, and thus the Immortan, off. He had his players, his own drivers, a little group that he stuck with for as long as they lasted, but regular-rank Boys he didn't talk to much. Maybe this'd be interesting.

"Yeah?" he asked, once he was on the ground, angling his body so he faced the Boy. "Sounds like yer a fan of mine."

There was quiet, Doof felt air movement, before he realized the Boy was fucking nodding.

The Boy must've realized it at the exact same time, because he scrambled to say, "Yes! Oh yes, you play glorious music for battle!" Doof snorted.

"I play glorious music for other times too, Boy."

"I--I didn't mean to offend, Herald--" 

Doof shrugged a shoulder. "Nah. What would you know? You got a name?"

"Nux!" the Boy burst out. "They call me Nux. Like Nuts, but almost."

"Nux." Doof tasted the name. "Okay." And then he decided to have a little fun. "So what're you doing out here, in the dead a' night, stead of sleepin' in your bunk, huh?"

There was another one of those sharp inhales, and Doof grinned. What, the War Boy was  _embarrassed?_

"Might as well tell me," Doof said. "S'not like I can see you either way." Nux could still have his pants around his ankles, for all Doof knew.

There was another hitched breath, then a choked off cough sound, and Nux said, "I--don't think less of me, Herald." Doof snorted again. The hell? Really?

"You gonna spit it out, or what?"

"Night fevers," Nux said in a rush. "I get em, sometimes. Better not to sleep, so I keep awake, move outta the bunks so Sl--so the other's can sleep--but I swear to you, Herald, I'm fighting fit, I am. I won't be a disappointment to the Immortan, I'll go out shiny and chrome for him on the road!"

Aw hell. Doof'd pegged that  _all_ wrong. It was one thing to poke at a Boy caught in some fun. Another to catch em in weakness, curled in a corner to hide the pain.

"I'm making the V8 symbol, Herald," Nux added quickly, at Doof's silence. Which okay, Doof supposed he could appreciate the update. He waved a hand.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure you'll do good," he said. Then he lit on something that'd probably  _really_  make Nux happy. He seemed the type. "Go out with a bang, yeah? My music blaring in your ears, maybe."

"Oh  _yes_ ," Nux breathed. "Yes, Herald."

Doof grinned. Yeah, for a Boy like Nux, approval was everything. And attention from the Immortan's Herald was the next best thing to the Immortan himself. Doof knew  _that_  for a fact. Funny little ranking system, with him being just guy who liked sound but hey. Not gonna complain. And not gonna disillusion a pain-ridden War Boy. What'd be the point in that?

"C'mere," he said instead, patting the ground in front of him. "Wanna take a look at ya." Nux scrambled forward until he was right in front of Doof, moving to sit cross legged. 

"Alright," Doof said, holding out a hand. "Put this on the top of your head."

"Y-yes, Herald," Nux said, before heh, really fucking  _gently,_ taking Doof's hand and placing it on his own forehead. Doof could feel him breathing shakily, and swallowing hard. Nervous, still the awe, maybe some pain still, but that was being ignored.

Doof took his time, feeling around Nux's face, taking in the scars -injuries? mods?- the shape of his nose, his modded lips. "Nice," he said, feeling them. "Do these yourself?" He could feel Nux's breath on his fingertips.

"No, Herald," Nux said, lips moving against Doof's fingers. "Traded the knife work for a revved engine. I-I got an engine block outline on my chest. It's not done yet. Gotta fill in the middle."

"Oh yeah?" Doof asked, moving down Nux's face to his neck, feeling the lumps there.

"B-bigger mods take longer, cause of the bleeding," Nux said, adding, "That's Larry and Barry."

Doofs fingers stilled on the lumps. "These guys?"

"Uh-huh."

"Anymore like em?" A couple more these size, and Nux'd be ending his half-life sooner over later.

"Nah, just them. Had em a while, now. I check for more like we're told to, but nothing so far! Which is good," he said, "'Cause I don't know another name that ends in 'arry.'"

"Harry," Doof said absently, tracing around Nux's neck, the sharp outline of his collarbone.

"Harry!" Nux said, sounding fucking delighted. "Thank you, Herald! If I get a get a third, I'll--"

"Yeah," Doof said, cutting him off. "Great. But don't. Get a third."

"I'll try not to, Herald."

"You do that," Doof muttered, moving down Nux's shoulders to feel his arms and hands. "Y'got good hands," he said, after a few minutes of inspection. "They've done work. Can tell you're a black thumb. You've got the hands of one."

" _Thank you_ , Herald." And that breathy voice was back again. Doof chuckled to himself. Nux had a nice enough voice, he'd give him that. And good hands. He was partial to good hands.

"You said yer chest was modded?"

"Yeah," a half-second late, probably following a nod. "But it's--"

"Not done," Doof finished. "Right. I don't got eyes. Still got a brain."

"Sorry!" And that was practically a squeak. Heh. Nux was fun. Interesting balance of willing to talk to him and good ol' worship.

"'s fine," Doof said, clicking to find Nux's chest and then feeling around it, tracing the outline of the engine block that was just waiting for inner details. "Not bad," he said, tracing the lines. "Good knife work, whoever's doin' it. Same Boy who did your lips?"

"N-no, this is m-my Lancer," Nux said, chest heaving under Doof's fingers. "Slit. He's g-good with knives."

"Yeah," Doof said approvingly. "Lines feel clean, pretty straight. Your Lancer, huh?" 

"Uh-huh. He didn't want to do it at f-first, said it was too much trouble." Nux let out a laugh, sounding slightly breathless again. "C-changed his tune when I--told him I'd get it from someone else."

Doof stroked over the lines. "Slit, huh? Boy does good work. You'll have to let me feel it when it's finished."

"O-of course!" a pause. "I--how would I find you, to show you?"

Yeah, that was a point. "You know where I bunk?" Doof, being of higher status, had his own little place in the Citadel. It wasn't quite Up Top, but it was pretty damn near it, so Joe could call on him as he wanted.

"I--yes. Yeah, I know it." Most Boys did, if only because of the steady stream of sound.

"Okay. So. When you get this mod all finished and clean, pay me a visit. If I'm not about or on the Road, I'm either in my bunk or on the Wagon. Check em both out; I'll be there sooner or later."

"Okay, Herald. I will!" Another hitched breath, but this sounded a little different. Less pained.

Doof realized he'd been absently stroking the scars on Nux's chest the whole time, fingers rubbing against skin and paint. Maybe that had something to do with it. He knew from working with his own team of War Boys that a, uh,  _delicate_  touch was not something they were used to all that much. And Doof was a fucking musician. He could shred sure, he was the  _best_ , but he also knew good and damn well how to do gentle when needed.

And, well, hey. Sometimes War Boys needed.

"Speaking of my bunk," he said, pulling back and standing up, "I'm going back to it. Seeing as yer out here out of yer own, I s'ppose you can come with. If ya want."

Another gasp, and then the sounds of Nux scrambling to stand up. "I want, Herald," he said, eager. Doof waved a finger.

"Uh-uh. Heralding's what I  _do_. 's a job title. Call me Doof."

"Doof," Nux breathed in a rush, shifting where he stood. Doof nodded approvingly.

"Good," he said, before tilting his head out of the chamber. "C'mon, then."

"Yeah," Nux said, following him. Sounded like he was smiling. "Yeah, okay."

Alright, Doof thought, pleased, as he clicked his way back to his space. He'd wanted interesting. Time find out what noises Nux could make.

**Author's Note:**

> Considering how completely religiously gone Nux was for Immortan Joe, I feel like he'd be kind of worship-y of Doof, at least to start (The Immortan's Herald, and all that).


End file.
